HIGH SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD
The VHS Track and Field athletes recently participated in their state track meet for the year. The meet overall was a success and VHS had nine athletes compete for the state tournament.

Final HoorahRod Morrison - On Thursday morning, our varsity track team headed to Colony Middle School to compete at the Valley Championship; the first for the Huskies track team. Overall, all the athletes did exceptional as a team, while also challenging and beating their own personal records. The season has come to an end, and as coaches we couldn’t have asked for a better group of athletes. It’s not every day where you find a group of athletes, that’s willing to push themselves beyond their limits. These students went above and beyond to bring pride not only to themselves, but to the GMS and the community.
Bennett Hinkle set a new standard in the high jump, by jumping 5’4, beating all high jump competitors by two inches. Jade Watts, Haleigh Ficek, Jillian Fleming, and Kendall Wasenberg, took 3rd place as the 4x4 team. Being one of the most intense and high energy events at the meet, the girls did amazing. Following the girls, would be the make shift boys 4x4 team, which took 4th place in a very tight event. The team consisted of Jona Turner, Dustin Woods, Jacob Porrit, and Warren Williams. Our girls 4x2 team took 3rd place, the team consisted of: Jade Watts, Macy Hansen, Jillian Fleming, and Grace Keller.
Kassi Howard, Cora Akpik, Cherubim Palomar, Caitlyn Childs, Kyler LaBonte, Ike Watson, Chase Randall, Sam Norris, and Andrew Williams all did exceptional in their events as well. All of our athletes placed in the top 10 in the field of competitors in which they were competing against. In summary, this season has been an amazing one for all the coaches. It’s only appropriate to part with the hope that the athletes don’t give up on their dreams and focus on becoming greater athletes moving forward. We look forward to next season.

JV Summary
Tuesday May 12, 2015Rod Morrison - Yesterday 10 of our hardest working trackster’s took to the track for what will be there last Meet of 2015. Though our season was short this group of young runners showed not only there coaches but runners around the state that training and practice is only 25% of the journey. It is your heart and love for the sport that is sure to carry you the other 75.
In the field events Brenner Wilson and Wyatt Cummings beat their season best in discus and showed very strong in the shotput. Hayden Howard and Paris Pennington caught the attention of their coaches by mastering their form and technique in those two events. In the 110 Hurdles Jeffrey Prevost shined like a brand new red corvette with an impressive 3rd place in the fastest heat on the track. Marianne Prax and Wyatt Mehlberg also showed very strong as first timers in this event.
Our 4x200 Relay team was a true showing made the crowd take notice when they we completed 5th out of 8 very strong Junior Varsity teams. Our 4x1 00 team brought home a 5th as well. Aaron Williams showed that his brother Warren is not the only true miler in the family when he completed 5th and he beat his personal best time. But the show was not over then Austin Williams rained in a 3rd place Finish in the 100 meter dash and Tyrese McCullough matched his swag by taking 4th in the 200 meter dash.
This has been an amazing journey with this great group of young athletes. We the coaching staff wish them the best in their future endeavors and hope to see them return next season.

2015-2016 VHS SPORTS SCHEDULES
Valdez High School has released their sports schedules for the 2015-2016 school year.CLICK HERE for Football, Cross Country, Volleyball, Swimming, Wrestling, Cross Country Skiing, and Basketball.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HOOPING FOR SPRING BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTThis weekend (4-24-15)
The Hooping For Spring is this weekend, and will be running Friday, April 24th till Sunday, April 26th. This year the tournament will be hosting 52 different teams from around the state of Alaska. The teams will be split into 8 different division for a weekend filled with basketball.

The PWSCC Valdez Archery Club’s Spring Archery Leagues kicked off a few weeks ago. This weekly competition between teams of three archers will run every Tuesday through
April at the Gilson Middle School Gym Tuesday 8:30-10:30. Spectators are welcome.

Archery leagues are a great way to learn and improve shooting skills regardless of experience. To ensure and encourage fair play each archer is assigned handicap points based on their current skill level. Their handicap is adjusted each week as proficiency increases. Handicap points when added to their actual shooting scores (Scratch Score) becomes their Match Score. Teams compete for three games a night. The highest
combined match score wins the game and counts as one point. The team with the
highest three game combined match score also wins a point. Each week a team is competing for four possible points. At the conclusion of the 14 week season awards
are presented to the team who wins the most games and a league team champion is
determined by a shoot off between the winning teams of the first and second halves
of the season. Recognition awards are also earned for individual improvement, to the
archer with the highest accumulated scratch score and for the most X’s (center of target hits).

The PWSCC Valdez Archery Club is sanctioned by both USA Archery the
national governing body for archery in the United States and the National Field Archery Association (NFAA). For more information about becoming a member or about upcoming events contact PWSCC @ 834-1622

High Scratch Score

298

Chad Clements

High Match Score

319

Ryan Chalker

High X Score

28

Chad Clements, Steve Shiell

High Game

903

Team 1- Cindy Clements, Ron Fowler, Chad Clements

Leading Team Record

7-1

Team 1- Cindy Clements, Ron Fowler, Chad Clements

Leading Archers

595 Chad Clements; 589 Ron Fowler; 582 Steve Shiell

5 Spot Robin Hood Arrow

Amber Henderson

TEAM

Game 1

X

Game 2

X

Game3

X

Match Game

X

Game Points

Team 1

304

30

304

24

295

23

903

77

4

Team 2

288

1

284

2

244

2

816

5

0

Team 3

287

0

275

1

256

818

1

0

Team 4

294

11

300

4

304

12

898

27

4

Team 5

189

9

188

7

186

8

563

24

0

Team 7

292

17

304

18

297

19

893

54

4

Team 6

BYE

BYE

BYE

BYE

BYE

BYE

BYE

BYE

BYE

ELKS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTThursday, Feb 12th – Saturday, Feb 14th
The Elk’s High School Basketball Tournament is set to go underway this Thursday, February 12th through Saturday February 14th. The Valdez Buccaneers will be hosting 7 teams from around the state of Alaska. Teams include, Hutchison, Seward, Delta, Houston, Kotzebue, Cordova and Glennallen. The first games of the tournament are set to begin on Thursday, February 12th at 9:00am in the high school gym.

VALDEZ SPORTS SHORTS

03-09-15
The VHS Buccaneer Basketball teams traveled to Eielson Air force Base last weekend for the 3A Aurora Conference Regional Tournament. Both teams played hard, the boys finished off their season with some tough fought games, and large potential for growth next season. The girls will continue on to the State Tournament, after a dominant victory over Monroe Catholic in the semis last Thursday, and a hard fought win against the Hutchison Hawks Friday, giving them a first place Regional finish. The Valdez Lady Buccaneers will open the state tournament against Nikiski.

The VHS ACADECA (Academic Decathlon) team also placed first in their region, and second in state a few weeks ago.

03-02-15The VHS girls’ basketball team finished their final home games of the season in style, as they defeated the Monroe Catholic Rams this weekend. Friday's game saw the girls win 60-26, and they won on Saturday by a score of 53-25. The Bucs press defense seemed too much for the Rams both nights as Monroe struggled to get the ball over half court, and never seemed to be able to set up on offense. The Lady Bucs go into regionals this weekend at Eielson a heavy favorite. The boy’s team found themselves facing off against a tough Monroe squad that has been one of the top teams in the state for the past few years. They lost both evenings, but can take solace in knowing their young team has shown growth this season and have hopefully built a solid foundation to build on next year. They all travel to Eielson this weekend for Regionals. This weekend also saw the outgoing seniors get recognized for their accomplishments.

02-23-15VHS Girls Basketball Team
The Valdez Buccaneer Girls basketball team traveled Southeast last weekend for matchups with the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves and the Sitka Wolves. They played Mt. Edgecombe Thursday in a strongly contested game, which saw Mt. Edgecumbe come out on top, beating the Bucs 60-52. They traveled to Sitka the next day for two matchups against the wolves. The Bucs played hard both games, Friday saw the Bucs play another close game, narrowly losing to the Wolves 60-54, and Saturday also saw the Valdez team come up short. Though it may not have been the desired outcome, the Bucs got a chance to face the level of competition they could see at the State Tournament and will be able to treat this weekend as a learning experience to come out strong against Monroe, and against the rest of the conference heading in to regions and state.

VHS Boys Basketball Team
The VHS Boys Basketball team faced off last weekend against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves and the Sitka Wolves. Thursday's game against Mt. Edgecumbe was a tough one for the boys. Mt. Edgecumbe perenially fields strong teams, and this year is no different, as Thursday's game saw Mt. Edgecumbe take home the win 76-31. Not to be discouraged, the boys traveled to Sitka the next day and put up a great game against a strong Sitka Wolves team. While they may not have come away with a win, the boys played Sitka tough, losing by a score of 65-57. While the losses continue to mount, one can see the team growing together as the season progresses. The improvement between the first games of the season and now is obvious, and our young boy's team is putting together the foundation for strong seasons in the years to come. They will face off this weekend with Monroe.

Skiers Compete at State
Stephanie Allen earns 3A Skimeister awardCoach Pete Toye - Seven Buc skiers competed at the state championships at Kincaid Park. Minimal snow pack, rapidly fluctuating temperatures, rain, sun, snow, wind, and ice made for complicated but very interesting race conditions each day. As has been the case all season, all seven Buc skiers responded with outstanding efforts and did the best they could in this `David v. Goliath’ environment. Over the course of the three day tournament, the girls raced a total of 10.75 miles and 11.5 miles for the boys. At state, there is no JV classification so results need to be considered in proper perspective relative to the outstanding levels of competitiveness that this event always entails.
Thursday’s classic race started off the tournament action with a course that ended up the source of some controversy. Senior Stephanie Allen had a sensational 5K race that earned her 1st place medal in the 3A division and 41st overall in the field of 89. Sophomore Rylee Norris fell victim to the poorly marked course when she missed a turn and was disqualified after sharing the lead with Allen for the first 3K. Eventually, 8 skiers were DQ’d for similar reasons and a few others were forced to retrace their steps after missing a turn. Senior Kathryn Keeney gave a great effort in her last state tournament as did first year skiers Junior Josie McNelly and Sophomore Taylor Huston. Senior Sergei Wegner also had a strong performance in his 7.5K event earning him 4th place 3A finish and 52nd overall in the field of 103. Freshman Ben Swanson had s strong race going for a rookie until his too soft skis lost their wax on the very abrasive snow but he persisted strongly to the end.
The skate race on Friday was held on a much better understood course. Stephanie again led the way for the Bucs with another excellent performance that earned her a hard fought 2nd place 3A finish and 41st overall in field of 96 in the 7.5K event. Rylee bounced back strongly from the previous day’s frustrations finishing in 4th place for 3A (.8 second out of 3rd) and 44th overall. Kathryn, Taylor, and Josie, also again gave their best on the demanding course. Sergei finished a respectable 7th in 3A and 59th overall on the boys 10K course that was highlighted by three trips through a high speed hair pin turn that went from ice to powder at all the wrong places. Ben had another strong ski for a first year freshman skier.
Stephanie Allen’s terrific two day performance earned her 3A Skimeister honors for the fastest two day combined times for 3A girls and a very competitive 37th overall out of 88. Sergei Wegner’s efforts earned him 6th in 3A boys and a respectable 57th overall in the field of 100. The Bucs bid a sad farewell to this year’s three great senior leaders: Stephanie Allen, Kathryn Keeney, and Sergei Wegner. The fortitude, work ethic, persistence and positive attitude that the three have demonstrated throughout the season will serve them very well on their future life journeys!

02-16-15

Valdez Boys get First Home Victory of the Season

This weekend saw the Valdez Buccaneer boys compete in the 38th annual Valdez Elks Tournament. They drew the defending 2A champion Glennallen Panthers in round 1. Glennallen took that game, sending the Bucs to a matchup with the Kotzebue Huskies on Friday. The Huskies managed to come away with that victory, but the boys weekend wasn't lost. Saturday's matchup saw the Buccaneers take on the Houston Hawks and they came away with a strong 62-48 victory. The Bucs played their strongest home basketball of the season, and saw great games out of Seth Auble and Shawn Stewart. Talking with point guard Preston Fifarek after the game, he mentioned that the boys went in to the final game with a real feeling that they could come away with a victory and were determined not to let that opportunity slip through their fingers. The Bucs followed through with their goal and picked up their first home win of the season. They travel to Sitka this weekend. The Delta Junction Huskies won the Boys Championship, defeating Cordova in the final matchup. In an uncommon occurence, Delta Junction combined winning the tournament with the sportsmanship award as well.
Valdez Girls win Elks Tournament in Dominant Fashion

The Valdez Buccaneer girls continued their winning streak, defeating Glennallen, Cordova, and Hutchison to win the 38th annual Valdez Elks Tournament. The first two games were won handily by the Bucs, sending them to a championship game against the Hutchison Hawks. The first few minutes of the quarter were tense, with Hutch jumping out to a lead on the Buccaneer girls. A quick substitution, bringing freshman Makenzi Mott into the game gave the girls the kickstart they needed to run away with the game. Mott and senior guard Veronica Hursh went on to lead the girls to a 15-0 run, behind Hursh's strong on-ball defense and Mott's strong offensive first quarter. Madison Fleming hit a half quart shot as the buzzer for the 1st quarter hit, which told the story of the rest of the half. The girls went on to hold the Hutchison girls down in the second quarter, going in to the half leading 29-8. The third quarter almost gave the girls a scare as Hutchison came out strong, outscoring Valdez 19-8 and pulling within 10 heading in to the fourth. The Bucs looked tired compared to the fast paced and tenacious girls in the first half, one has to wonder if part of that is due to the lack of playing time for some of the bench players. Valdez tends to rely very strong on their big 6, and once Valdez hits the state level with some of the deeper teams, it'll be interesting to see if coach Fleming looks to his bench earlier in the game to keep his starters fresh. The fourth quarter saw the Bucs do what they do when things get a little rough, which was get the ball to Marianne Wamsley in the post and let her do work, leading the Bucs to a 51-34 victory. This Buccaneer team has many ways to win, and are peaking at a great time, but this reporter is left wondering if it's time to begin working some of the bench in to the game a little more often to simulate what may be needed when/if the girls get to the state tournament level.
Valdez Cheer Squad wins Elks Tournament Competition

6 teams competed this weekend in the cheerleading competition at the 38th annual Valdez Elks Tournament. This tournament, put together by Valdez coach Tina Fifarek, runs differently than most, as many tournaments judge solely on one 2 and a half minute routine, and this judgesroutine, plus in game cheering. During the Elks Tournament the in-game cheering is actually worth twice as much as the half time routine. The teams are judged on things like crowd involvement, athletic execution, safety, synchronicity, and showmanship, and each cheer coach is involved in the judging. The Hutchison Hawks placed second, but the first place Bucs looked like front runners from the get go. The home crowd advantage can help slightly when judging things like crowd involvement, but the Buccaneer girls also had creative sideline routines and showed a strong sychronized team presence on the sidelines. Their dance routine was also particularly strong, as members of basketball teams sitting next to me in the stands found themselves amazed by how much they enjoyed the Bucs half time show. Captain Madeline Hogarth is always engaging on the floor as she moves with alacrity and is always engaged and smiling, even with things get slightly off. Another bright spot was the performance of Jacob Connell, who's commitment to the routing added some great elements of humor, while also showcasing his abilities to dance and keep up with the girls. Valdez has two more competitions coming up at Regionals and State.

Bucs Battle at Region III Ski Championships

A small, but determined, “Band of Bucs” took to the Government Peaks trails last weekend for the Region III Championships hosted by Colony High School. A very strong Kenai team dominated the weekend in both boys and girls but the Valdez team represented us very well and gave valiant efforts across the board.
Senior Sergei Wegner was the lone Buc entry in the boys’ varsity division. On Friday, Wegner had a strong classic performance finishing 15th in the field of 37 in the 5K event. Saturday’s 7.5 skate race saw him drop a bit to 23rd after experiencing a pile up at the mass start and some difficulty with the fast icy turns several places along the course but he was going for it! Wegner ended up a respectable 19th place overall in this very competitive group. Senior Stephanie Allen saved her best performance of the year for Regions. Allen had a strong classic ski netting her 13th in the varsity event in the field of 41. Saturday’s skate race saw her jump 4 spots to 9th place with a powerful and determined performance in the 5K event. Allen ended up a very competitive 12th place overall for the weekend. Sophomore Rylee Norris had some issues with both the wax and the course but still managed a respectable 19th place finish in the classic event (for perspective, her time would have won the JV event where most Sophs raced). Norris came roaring back on Saturday with a great skate that ended in an 11th place finish---1.5 seconds out of 10th. Norris wound up an admirable 15th overall.
The JV teams got off to a slow start on Day #1 but really turned it up on day #2. Freshman Ben Swanson had a very impressive weekend finishing 19th in the classic then jumping 13 spots to 6th in a tremendous skate race the following day. Swanson ended up a very impressive 12th overall in the field of 46. Junior Stuart Relay finished a respectable 23rd in the classic despite dealing with a nagging rib muscle injury. This injury prevented him from competing on Saturday. Sophomore Colton Prevost continues to improve and impress finishing 40th in the classic event and 37th in the skate. His progress has been a joy to watch. Sophomore Taylor Huston had a great first year regions finishing 27th in the classic then screaming back 12 spots with a super 15th place finish in the skate. Junior Josie McNelly also had a great first tournament finishing 30th on the first day then also jumping a most impressive 12 spots to 18th in the skate.
The team did a super job of competing at their highest levels last weekend. Their efforts were especially impressive on the second day, when they had their road legs fully back under them. The team next travels to Anchorage this weekend for the state skiing (or swimming…) championships at Kincaid. - Coach Pete Toye

02-09-15GIRLS BASKETBALL KEEPS ROLLING AGAINST EIELSON
The Valdez High School Buccaneer Girls basketball team cruised to their 10th win of the season as they picked up a win against the Eielson Ravens. After cancelling Friday matchup due to high winds and dangerous roads the Lady Ravens made it in for Saturday’s scheduled games. Katy Merioles scored 22 points and Marian Wamsley continued her efficient ways as they led the Lady Bucs to their 68-33 victory. Over the weekend Marian Wamsley was also honored for scoring 1000th point back at the ACS Tournament earlier this year. The Lady Bucs will now gear up for the Elks Tournament, being hosted by Valdez over the weekend. They open competition on Thursday at 6:00 pm, taking on the Glennallen Panthers.

VHS BOYS TEAM
The VHS Buccaneer Boys Basketball team suffered a loss this weekend against the Eielson Ravens. After missing out on Friday’s games, the boys got a chance to get another game in before the Elks Tournament coming up this week. Despite strong play from Tyler Mann and Seth Auble, the boys weren’t able to pick up the win, but got more valuable game time as they ready themselves for this week. They go in to an Elks Tournament with no clear favorite in the Boys bracket, and an opportunity to outperform their record thus far this season. They will begin with the Glennallen Panthers, Thursday night at 6:00 pm.

BUCS COMPETE AT MATSU BOROUGH CHAMPIONSHIPS Coach Pete Toye - The Matsu Borough Championships took place last Friday at salubrious (compared to Hurricane Valdez) Su Valley High School outside Talkeetna. Teams from, Valdez, Colony, Wasilla, Palmer, and Su Valley competed in this annual event.
The girl’s team had two top 10 finishers in the field of 27. Sophomore Rylee Norris continued her impressive growth as a very competitive skier with an outstanding 3rd place finish. Senior Stephanie Allen also had a very strong race which netted her a very competitive 5th place finish. Following Allen, fellow senior Kathryn Keeney had the best race of her season thus far finishing a very respectable 13th.

2-2-15

GMS Wrestling
The GMS Husky wrestling team traveled Colony last weekend, with three wrestlers placing in the JV division and five placing in the Varsity division. Coach Fred hill issued us a statement on the tournament below:

“We had a very successful trip to Colony this weekend. We only had nine of our twenty wrestlers able to go and compete but those who went did a great job of representing Valdez on and off the mat. Out of the nine wrestlers who competed eight of them placed in the top three.

In the Jr. Varsity matches we had three wrestlers and all three made it to the finals.
In the 77 lb. weight class, Aaron Williams took 2nd place.
In the 84 lb. weight class, Andrew Williams took 1st place.
Last in the Jr. Varsity was our 126 lb. weight class, Ethan Christoffersen. had to work out hard before the tournament to make weight and did so. He over came a bad stomachache and took first place in his weight class, showing his team how not to give up.

In the Varsity tournament on Saturday we had six wrestlers compete.
In the 77 lb. weight class, Marcus Riedlinger did a great job taking 2nd place.
In the 84 lb. weight class, Austin Williams did not place but when he lost his last match his attitude was, “ they better watch out next time I wrestle them”, not complaining or blaming but looking forward to the next time he wrestles.
In the 91 lb. weight class, Luke Baczuk lost his first match and came back and won the rest of his matches to take 3rd place.
In the 98 lb. weight class, Warren Williams felt confident that he would make it to the finals but had to overcome a wrestler who beat him last season. His final match was a hard fought match winning a very close 3 to 1 final to give him 1st place.
In the 105 lb. weight class, Jayce Lindekugel did a great job of making it to the finals.
He had to go into overtime to win the finals giving coach Hill more grey hairs.
In the 126 lb. weight class, Jacob Porritt also lost his first match and had to come back and win to take third place. I really liked his attitude as well when he told me after his loss that I was going to see him take 3rd place.

My two High School Coaches, Cody Greene and Colbin Hansen were wesome coaches leading our wrestlers to the championship rounds. I want to thank them and our bus driver, Amy Williams for making sure all our needs were met to make our trip a very successful one. We are looking forward to our trip to Glennallen next weekend. - Coach Hill”

VHS Basketball
The Valdez Buccaneer boys basketball teams traveled to Delta Junction last weekend for a showdown with the Huskies. Coming off a short week which saw many of the boys out with varying degrees of illness, the Jv boys had a solid showing this weekend, opening up with a 58-45 loss to Delta, but had a much better showing the following day as they won a tough one 59-46. The Varsity boys also found a challenge against the Huskies, as Delta won the first evening by a score of 82-52. The boys played a much stronger game on Saturday, but Delta held on and won the second evening’s game 55-38. The weekend also saw Andrew Hedman get the opportunity to lace up his shoes one last time for the Bucs, getting the opportunity to go out playing. We wish Andrew the best in his future. They will face Eilson this weekend in Valdez.

The VHS girls basketball teams traveled up North for a great weekend against the Delta Junction Huskies last weekend. The JV girls opened up the matchup, setting the tone for the lady bucs weekend, as they defeated Delta Junction by a score of 45 to 26. They would keep their foot on the gas Saturday, cruising to another victory, this time by a score of 41-21, showing us that the Lady Bucs should continue to have a strong core for the coming years.
The Varsity squad, not to be outdone, once again showcased their stalwart defense, taking out the Huskies on Friday by a score of 56-8, and Saturday by a score of 67-2. They take on the Eilson Ravens at home this weekend.

1-26-15
The Valdez skiers made the trip over to Hatcher’s Pass last weekend for a two day event at Government Peak featuring all Region III teams. Fresh snow and more seasonal temps made for a great course, and a very productive race for all involved, as we continue to mentally and physically progress toward regions and state next month. Sophomore Rylee Norris was again the top Buc performer finishing 11th place overall in combined time in the field of 39 varsity skiers. Norris finished 13th in Friday’s classic race and 12th in Saturday’s skate. Senior Stephanie Allen had a solid performance finishing 16th overall. Allen finished 15th in the classic but, as a result of getting caught in a pileup at Saturday’s mass start, she could only recover to a 22nd place finish. Senior Kathryn Keeney continues to get stronger ending the weekend in 31st place overall having finished 36th in classic and 34th in skate. Both JV girls had strong performances as first year skiers. Freshman Taylor Huston had a strong race finishing 22nd overall in the field of 43 with a 24th place finish in classic and a 20th place in skate—her first top 20 performance as a Buc skier! Junior Josie McNelly continues to improve weekly and earned a 28th place overall spot finishing 34th and 27th respectfully. Boys JV performances were led by Junior Stuart Relay. Relay’s consistent efforts earned him 22nd overall in the field of 43 placing 23rd in classic and 19th in skate. Freshman Colton Prevost finished 39th overall with 39th place finishes in both events and continues to show great persistence and improvement. - Coach Toye

The Valdez High School Buccaneer boys basketball team spent the weekend up at Sidney S Huntington High School facing off against the Galena Hawks. The boys team went in to the weekend without senior captain Andrew Hedman, who injured his patella last week at Hutchison, which will cost him the season. The boys faced tough sledding against a Galena team who came out firing on all cylinders on Friday night. Galena won the first game 61-33. On night two, the Bucs defense buckled down more, keeping the game close, but still ultimately dropped the game to Galena 48-32. The young squad will travel to Delta Junction for what should be an exciting matchup for the boys.

The VHS Buccaneer Girls Basketball team traveled up to Galena this weekend looking for a strong showing as they move into the midway point of the season. After splitting games against Hutchison and dropping a game to Barrow at the ACS Tournament, the Lady Bucs were ready to make a statement. They did just that against the Galena Hawks this weekend. The Lady Bucs came out strong Friday night en route to a 55-36 victory over a tough Hawks squad and kept their momentum up by winning Saturday night’s game 67-34. The girls travel North this weekend to play Delta Junction.

1-20-15
The Valdez Buccaneers Varsity Girls Basketball team traveled to Hutchison this weekend for a showdown with the Hutchison Hawks. On Thursday night the girls came out strong, utilizing that extra week of practice to knock off the Hawks, 51-31. Friday night held more of a challenge for the girls, as Hutchison came out strong, led by players Elly Veazy and Tiehya Titus. Though Marian Wamsley scored a game high 20 points, the Hawks would eventually go on to win the game 36-39. The Lady Bucs will look to get back on track this weekend against Galena.

The VHS Buccaneer Boys basketball team traveled to Hutchison this week to do battle with the Hutchison Hawks. The Hawks proved to be a strong foe as Hutchison won the first evening by a score of 79-39, and the second evening by a score of 82-47. Friday’s game saw team high scoring of 16 points by Shawn Stewart and 14 points by Seth Auble. The boys will travel this weekend to square off against 5-2 Galena. In other boys basketball news, the Barrow Whalers upset the Monroe-Catholic Rams in finals of the Joe T. Classic tournament this weekend. This loss marks Monroe’s first loss against an Alaska team since February of 2013.

1-12-15

Valdez Invite a Huge Success Despite Very Marginal Conditions Coach Pete Toye - Thanks to the great efforts of the City of Valdez, the Department of Recreation, and, most importantly, Groomer Extraordinaire Marcie Robertson, the annual Valdez Invite Nordic Ski Races came off as a great success last weekend. Teams from West Valley, Lathrup, Wasilla, Colony, Palmer, and SuValley made the icy trek to Valdez and found much better skiing conditions than projected earlier in the week. The schools from Kenai Peninsula cancelled due to the ice. The weird and warm mid-30’s temperatures, rain, and icy snow pack, made for great challenges in the waxing venues. The weekend races started out with the mixed relays consisting of two boys and two girls. Valdez only could muster one such team consisting of senior Stephanie Allen, senior Sergei Wegner, sophomore Rylee Norris , and freshman Ben Swanson. The team had a very competitive showing finishing 9th in the field of 37. The top 3 spots were awarded to West Valley.
Saturday’s individual classic races started with the girls varsity 5.4K competition. Senior Stephanie Allen led the Buc efforts with a very solid 13th (7 seconds out of 10th)place finish in the extremely athletic field of 27. Sophomore Rylee Norris followed 10 seconds behind at 14th with a strong underclassman ski. Senior Kathryn Keeney made a strong effort and continues to slowly regain her power from last year’s serious shoulder injury. The boys varsity 8.4K race saw Buc senior , and lone entrant, Sergei Wegner see his years of hard work start paying off with a hard earned 10th place finish in a very tough field of 26. Perennial state powerhouse West Valley secured the top 5 spots in the boy’s race.
The girls JV 5.4K race featured two first year Valdez skiers and both were most impressive in their debuts in the field of 36 . Junior Josie McNelly powered her way to an 18th place finish and freshman Taylor Huston pushed her way to a well- earned 22nd place in deteriorating conditions. The boys JV efforts were led by another first year skier, freshman Ben Swanson, who finished an impressive 18th out of 44 racers. Closely following Swanson with a solid ski was junior Stuart Relay at 20th. Freshman, and first year skier, Colton Prevost demonstrated outstanding effort in finishing his first 5.4K as a Buc. The team was ably assisted all weekend by manager Emily Chase and assistant coach Nathan Albright.
Both team titles were earned by West Valley who really owned the show. It was very apparent that they have been skiing regularly since October in Fairbanks and definitely have the edge statewide in that regard! The Buc team performed extremely well given our practice limitations thus far this very non-winter winter. We will only get faster with every minute we can spend on snow---there simply is no substitute!

VHS Basketball Games Cancelled Due To Roads
This weekend's games against Hutchinson had to unfortunately be cancelled due to travel warnings issued by the Valdez police department. The games have been rescheduled to be played on Thursday and Friday night.

Game times for both nights are as follows:
JV boys 3:00
JV girls 4:30
VB 6:00
VG 7:30
There is a possibility that they will live stream the games. We will pass along updates as we hear.

GMS Athletics Gets Rolling Again
Gilson Middle School Athletics are up and running for the second semester. Last week marked the beginning of the wrestling season, and this week Husky volleyball will also begin.Sports Shorts will keep you updated on matches and games as the seasoon progresses.

VALDEZ HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

AURORA CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT AT EIELSON
The VHS Buccaneer Basketball teams traveled to Eielson Air force Base last weekend for the 3A Aurora Conference Regional Tournament. Both teams played hard, the boys finished off their season with some tough fought games, and large potential for growth next season. The girls will continue on to the State Tournament, after a dominant victory over Monroe Catholic in the semis last Thursday, and a hard fought win against the Hutchison Hawks Friday, giving them a first place Regional finish. The Valdez Lady Buccaneers will open the state tournament against Nikiski.

SENIOR RECOGNITION GAMESThe VHS girls’ basketball team finished their final home games of the season in style, as they defeated the Monroe Catholic Rams this weekend. Friday's game saw the girls win 60-26, and they won on Saturday by a score of 53-25. The Bucs press defense seemed too much for the Rams both nights as Monroe struggled to get the ball over half court, and never seemed to be able to set up on offense. The Lady Bucs go into regionals this weekend at Eielson a heavy favorite. The boy’s team found themselves facing off against a tough Monroe squad that has been one of the top teams in the state for the past few years. They lost both evenings, but can take solace in knowing their young team has shown growth this season and have hopefully built a solid foundation to build on next year. They all travel to Eielson this weekend for Regionals. This weekend also saw the outgoing seniors get recognized for their accomplishments.

SITKA WEEKEND
The Valdez Buccaneer Girls basketball team traveled Southeast last weekend for matchups with the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves and the Sitka Wolves. They played Mt. Edgecombe Thursday in a strongly contested game, which saw Mt. Edgecumbe come out on top, beating the Bucs 60-52. They traveled to Sitka the next day for two matchups against the wolves. The Bucs played hard both games, Friday saw the Bucs play another close game, narrowly losing to the Wolves 60-54, and Saturday also saw the Valdez team come up short. Though it may not have been the desired outcome, the Bucs got a chance to face the level of competition they could see at the State Tournament and will be able to treat this weekend as a learning experience to come out strong against Monroe, and against the rest of the conference heading in to regions and state.

The VHS Boys Basketball team faced off last weekend against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves and the Sitka Wolves. Thursday's game against Mt. Edgecumbe was a tough one for the boys. Mt. Edgecumbe perenially fields strong teams, and this year is no different, as Thursday's game saw Mt. Edgecumbe take home the win 76-31. Not to be discouraged, the boys traveled to Sitka the next day and put up a great game against a strong Sitka Wolves team. While they may not have come away with a win, the boys played Sitka tough, losing by a score of 65-57. While the losses continue to mount, one can see the team growing together as the season progresses. The improvement between the first games of the season and now is obvious, and our young boy's team is putting together the foundation for strong seasons in the years to come. They will face off this weekend with Monroe.

DELTA WEEKEND 02-02-15
The Valdez Buccaneer boys basketball teams traveled to Delta Junction last weekend for a showdown with the Huskies. Coming off a short week which saw many of the boys out with varying degrees of illness, the Jv boys had a solid showing this weekend, opening up with a 58-45 loss to Delta, but had a much better showing the following day as they won a tough one 59-46. The Varsity boys also found a challenge against the Huskies, as Delta won the first evening by a score of 82-52. The boys played a much stronger game on Saturday, but Delta held on and won the second evening’s game 55-38. The weekend also saw Andrew Hedman get the opportunity to lace up his shoes one last time for the Bucs, getting the opportunity to go out playing. We wish Andrew the best in his future. They will face Eilson this weekend in Valdez.

The VHS girls basketball teams traveled up North for a great weekend against the Delta Junction Huskies last weekend. The JV girls opened up the matchup, setting the tone for the lady bucs weekend, as they defeated Delta Junction by a score of 45 to 26. They would keep their foot on the gas Saturday, cruising to another victory, this time by a score of 41-21, showing us that the Lady Bucs should continue to have a strong core for the coming years.
The Varsity squad, not to be outdone, once again showcased their stalwart defense, taking out the Huskies on Friday by a score of 56-8, and Saturday by a score of 67-2. They take on the Eilson Ravens at home this weekend.

Hutch Recap 1-20-15The Valdez Buccaneers Varsity Girls Basketball team traveled to Hutchison this weekend for a showdown with the Hutchison Hawks. On Thursday night the girls came out strong, utilizing that extra week of practice to knock off the Hawks, 51-31. Friday night held more of a challenge for the girls, as Hutchison came out strong, led by players Elly Veazy and Tiehya Titus. Though Marian Wamsley scored a game high 20 points, the Hawks would eventually go on to win the game 36-39. The Lady Bucs will look to get back on track this weekend against Galena.

The VHS Buccaneer Boys basketball team traveled to Hutchison this week to do battle with the Hutchison Hawks. The Hawks proved to be a strong foe as Hutchison won the first evening by a score of 79-39, and the second evening by a score of 82-47. Friday’s game saw team high scoring of 16 points by Shawn Stewart and 14 points by Seth Auble. The boys will travel this weekend to square off against 5-2 Galena. In other boys basketball news, the Barrow Whalers upset the Monroe-Catholic Rams in finals of the Joe T. Classic tournament this weekend. This loss marks Monroe’s first loss against an Alaska team since February of 2013.

VHS Basketball Games Cancelled Due To Roads (01-12-15)
This weekend's games against Hutchinson had to unfortunately be cancelled due to travel warnings issued by the Valdez police department. The games have been rescheduled to be played on Thursday and Friday night.

Game times for both nights are as follows:
JV boys 3:00
JV girls 4:30
VB 6:00
VG 7:30
There is a possibility that they will live stream the games. We will pass along updates as we hear.

LIME SOLAR INVITELady Bucs face adversity early, overcome for a strong tournament.
The VHS Buccaneer Girls basketball team competed this weekend at the ACS Lime Solar-Pepsi Invitational. The girls had a rough opening to the tournament, but rolled through the competition the rest of the way. They opened up the weekend against the Barrow Whalers, in what very well could have been the final game had things been bracketed differently. It was a hard fought matchup, where the girls were plagued by foul trouble that ended with the Whalers on top 54-49. The Whalers would go on to win the Invitational. The girls came back the next day looking to right the ship and did exactly that against Nome-Beltz, beating them by a score of 69 to 37. They ended the weekend with a solid win against Kotzebue, winning by a score of 49-36. Marianne Wamsley who leads the league in points per game had a great outing, winning the MVP award for the tournament and scoring her 1000th career point. The4-1 Lady Bucs will hope to keep their strong start going as they travel to Hutchison this weekend.

Valdez Boys struggle early, but come away with first victory of the season
The Valdez High School Boys basketball team faced some stiff competition this week as they traveled to ACS for the Lime Solar-Pepsi Invitational. They opened the tournament against one of the top ranked teams in the state, the Barrow Whalers. The boys hung tough against the Whalers, who are led by nationally ranked freshman Kamaka Hepa, but ultimately dropped the game 69-37. The boys then moved on to play Kotzebue, and lost a tough a game 65-51. The bright spot of the weekend for the boys team was their final game against Tikigaq. The game was neck and neck for the first three quarters, but seeing a win within reach, the boys pulled away in the fourth to come up with a 61-53 score, which gave them their first victory of the season. In other news, former Valdez player Levi Auble’s ACS Lions won the tournament behind a strong tournament showing from Levi, as he won MVP of the tournament. The boys will travel to Hutchison this weekend.

The Valdez Buccaneer Varsity Girls Basketball team will be traveling to Anchorage this week for the Lime Solar-Pepsi Invitational, hosted by ACS. The Invite should be a great benchmark for the Lady Bucs, as both the ACS and Barrow will be competing, who finished first and third in the state respectively last season. The girls will be looking to better their standing from the previous year at the tournament, where they finished in fourth place, losing to Barrow by a score of 66-57 in the third place game. They open the invite on Thursday January 1st, at 9:00 a.m., with a great opportunity to do just that, as they do battle with the Barrow Whalers in what should be an exciting rematch from last year.

The VHS Buccaneer Varsity Boys Basketball team heads to Anchorage next week for the Lime Solar-Pepsi Invitational hosted by ACS. The invite will be full of strong competition, as three of the competing teams, Bethel, ACS, and Sitka all had strong showings in the State Tournament Last year. The Bucs will open the invite against the Barrow Whalers, at 1:30 p.m., Thursday January 1st. The last time these two faced off was during last year’s Elks Tournament where Barrow came out ahead 74-35. Once again the Lime-Solar Pepsi Invitational will be held at ACS next weekend January 1st thru the third 3rd.

VALDEZ VS CORDOVA
12-22-14
This weekend featured the opening of Valdez High School Buccaneer basketball, with games against the neighboring Cordova Wolverines. Each day began with a Junior Varsity boy’s game between the Bucs and the Wolverines. Both games were tightly contested, with the Wolverines coming out ahead. Each team featured players from the Varsity squads dropping down, helping to elevate the games of the younger players. Cordova did not field a JV girl’s team.

The Varsity Boys first night had its shares of ups and downs. Plagued by turnovers, the Valdez boys fell into an early hole, but showed great fight as they battled back in to the game late. The final score was 67-48, but the heart of the team was on display that evening, and Seth Auble had strong scoring game, with 21 points. The second evening was a closely fought battle up to the half, with Tyler Mann leading the charge for the Bucs. The teams traded baskets until Cordova went on a run for a ten point lead going in to the half. The Wolverines then pulled away in a high scoring third quarter for both teams, finishing the game 82-60.
The Varsity Girls made a statement this weekend, with a strong showing on both ends of the floor. Led by senior Marian Wamsley, the Lady Bucs had dominant showings both nights. Friday’s game ended with the Lady Bucs winning by a score of 56 – 35, with Wamsley scoring a game high 23. The Bucs controlled the game all evening with their dominant post play and effective scoring. The second night was a defensive clinic, as the Bucs held the Wolverines to just 5 points by the end of the third quarter. The scoring was more balanced, with McKenzie Mott leading all players with 11 points, but three other members of Bucs ended with 8, once again highlighting their efficiency on offense. Valdez won by score to 55-11.

The Varsity Buccaneer basketball teams will be traveling to ACS on the on January 1st for the ACS Tournament .

1st GAMES TO BE HELD IN VALDEZ
The VHS Basketball team will open the year this weekend at home, against the Cordova Wolverines. The schedule previously released had an error stating that the games were away this week, but they will in fact be playing here in Valdez. The games start on Friday, with the JV Girls Playing at 3:30, the JV Boys at 5:00, the Varsity Girls playing at 6:30, and the Varsity Boys playing at 8:00. On Saturday, the JV Boys play at 3:00, the JV Girls at 4:30, the Varsity Boys at 6:00, and the Varsity Girls at 7:30.

GILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS

Pictured above: Gilson Middle School track athletes at their meet last week in PalmerGMS TRACK AND FIELDGilson Middle School - Tuesday morning a group of twenty nine young track stars, three coaches and a host of parent chaperones took to the bus and headed to Palmer with the hopes of representing Gilson Middle School in its first ever track meet. After several revisions to our season schedule and battles with the ever changing weather conditions here, our athletes were finally able to compete and show others what Valdez strength, jumping and speed is all about. At the Palmer Invitational Track Meet each athlete was allowed to participate in only three events. Only five boys and five girls could represent our school in any event. This posed a challenge for our coaches because our student athletes are so versatile that they are capable of doing well in many of the events that this sport has to offer. So the coaches made it their goal to let the athletes ultimately decide which events they wanted to compete in.

VALDEZ VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
Gilson Middle School and the Valdez City School District would like to thank the community of Valdez for their dedication and volunteer hours, supporting the successful GMS Volleyball Invitational.
On this past weekend, 12 different teams from across the state, and over 120 student athletes competed in forty-four volleyball games at Gilson Middle School. Without the support of the community and GMS parents, we would not be able to host such a large event. The GMS had two teams in both the varsity and junior varsity divisions and performed very well. JV All-Tournament Team from Valdez included Alexia Franklin, Aspen Walli, Jillian Fleming and Jade Holmes.Varsity All-Tournament Team from Valdez included Caitlin Mond, Kassie Howard and Lydia Merioles.Sportsmanship Team from Valdez included Ashley Schaeffer, Danielle Benzo, Dezi Whiley and Honey Togagae.

COLONY WRESTLING TOURNAMENT 02-02-15
The GMS Huskie wrestling team traveled Colony last weekend, with three wrestlers placing in the JV division and five placing in the Varsity division. Coach Fred hill issued us a statement on the tournament below:

“We had a very successful trip to Colony this weekend. We only had nine of our twenty wrestlers able to go and compete but those who went did a great job of representing Valdez on and off the mat. Out of the nine wrestlers who competed eight of them placed in the top three.

In the Jr. Varsity matches we had three wrestlers and all three made it to the finals.
In the 77 lb. weight class, Aaron Williams took 2nd place.
In the 84 lb. weight class, Andrew Williams took 1st place.
Last in the Jr. Varsity was our 126 lb. weight class, Ethan Christoffersen. had to work out hard before the tournament to make weight and did so. He over came a bad stomachache and took first place in his weight class, showing his team how not to give up.

In the Varsity tournament on Saturday we had six wrestlers compete.
In the 77 lb. weight class, Marcus Riedlinger did a great job taking 2nd place.
In the 84 lb. weight class, Austin Williams did not place but when he lost his last match his attitude was, “ they better watch out next time I wrestle them”, not complaining or blaming but looking forward to the next time he wrestles.
In the 91 lb. weight class, Luke Baczuk lost his first match and came back and won the rest of his matches to take 3rd place.
In the 98 lb. weight class, Warren Williams felt confident that he would make it to the finals but had to overcome a wrestler who beat him last season. His final match was a hard fought match winning a very close 3 to 1 final to give him 1st place.
In the 105 lb. weight class, Jayce Lindekugel did a great job of making it to the finals.
He had to go into overtime to win the finals giving coach Hill more grey hairs.
In the 126 lb. weight class, Jacob Porritt also lost his first match and had to come back and win to take third place. I really liked his attitude as well when he told me after his loss that I was going to see him take 3rd place.

My two High School Coaches, Cody Greene and Colbin Hansen were wesome coaches leading our wrestlers to the championship rounds. I want to thank them and our bus driver, Amy Williams for making sure all our needs were met to make our trip a very successful one. We are looking forward to our trip to Glennallen next weekend.

VALDEZ HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING

STATE TOURNAMENT
The VHS wrestling team traveled to State this weekend. Valdez took four wrestlers, Darren Allen wrestling at 160, Colbin Hansen wrestling at 152, Chase Smith at 138, and Cody Greene at 132. The guys had a strong tournament, with Colbin Hansen placing 5th defeating Trey Hansen from Unalaska by an 11-2 decision, and Cody Greene placing 2nd after a hard fought battle with rival Michael Lucas by decision of 8-2. Chase Smith and Darren Allen both wrestled strong as well, all of Smith’s matches were strongly contested and could have gone either way, and Allen’s matches showed why next year he’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Congratulations on a great tournament and a great season Bucs.

DENALI CONFERENCE REGIONAL TOURNAMMENT RESULTS
This weekend the Buccaneer wrestling team traveled to Hutchison to compete in their Regional Tournament. The Bucs, though small, had a great showing and will be bringing half of their team to the State Tournament this year.

Cody Greene placed first in the 132 lbs. weight class, and received Outstanding Wrestler award from the tournament coaches.

Chase Smith placed first the 138 lbs. weight class, winning by pin fall in the second round.

Colbin Hansen placed first at 152 lbs., winning his match by pin fall in the second round.

Darren Allen placed first at 160 lbs., also winning his match by pin fall in the second round.

Though falling short of state, both Jonah Coats and Anthony Perez also had a good tournament. Jonah Coats placed third, winning a hard fought battle in overtime, and Anthony Perez won the Team Sportsmanship award for Valdez.

Congratulations Bucs, and good luck going forward to State!

THROWDOWN IN SNOWTOWN 2014Results
The Valdez High School Buccaneer wrestling team hosted the annual Throwdown in Snowtown this past weekend. 131 wrestlers from 16 teams competed in the 15 weight classes. Wrestling started at 1:30pm on Friday and concluded with the Championship matches at 2pm on Saturday.
Three wrestlers for Valdez placed in the top two of their respective weight classes. Cody Greene defeated Mike Lucas from Holy Rosary Academy in the 132lb final. Chase Smith defeated Ryan Merriner from Grace Christian Schools in the 138lb final. Colbin Hansen lost to Tylor Handley from Nikiski in the 152lb final. Cody Greene was voted Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament by the coaches. As a team, the Buccaneers finished in 5th place. Coach Paul Childs, “I was very pleased with the effort that our wrestlers put in each of their matches this weekend. We have some very experienced wrestlers, and then we have some that have never wrestled before this weekend, and I was proud of each one of them and the effort and intensity they exhibited. You only get better when you put in your best effort.”, said coach Paul Childs. “Our main focus is to use every match and practice as an opportunity to get better. Our wrestlers did that this weekend. I’m excited to see how they progress throughout the season, and what kind of product they put out on the mat at the State Tournament.”

This weekend the Buccaneers travel to Seward to compete in the King of the Mountain Duals Tournament. Way to go Bucs!!

Volleyball for the weekend of Sept. 19 - 20th coming soon

GILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL LOOKING FOR BASKETBALL OFFICIALS
Middle school basketball is starting next week and Gilson Middle School is looking for people who might be interested in officiating home basketball games. Officials are paid for officiating games and training will be provided for interested parties. Contact Barb Lyons at 831-0266 to express interest or ask questions.

VALDEZ HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING

CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS SUCCESSFUL IN SU – VALLEY
This past weekend the spirited cross country team traveled to compete in Su – Valley. Coach Melissa Cockerham said, “They show nothing but respect for each other and they push each other because they really want their team to be strong.” All runners beat their personal best times while competing. James Hancock, who had suffered a knee injury still managed to shave off his personal best with a time of 23:06.00. Junior Cody Greene had the fastest overall time for the team at 19:12.00, which beat his personal best by 47 seconds. Junior Katy Merioles shaved off the most time by beating her best time by 57 seconds, and had an overall time of 23:40.00. The lone senior of the team and captain, Wesley Colapietro beat his person best by 16 seconds with a time of 21:44.00. The runners now look toward training for the upcoming regional race which will be held September 27th through the 28th in Kodiak.

ACS, PALMER WEEKEND
From September 5th through the 6th the VHS XC Running team traveled to compete in two different meets. On Friday, even though the team was all suffering from colds, they started off the weekend by competing in the ACS 3K. Junior Katy Merioles finished 18th out of 56 runners. Also, Junior Cody Greene had a successful race placing 29th out of 86. The lone senior Wesley Colapietro set out a personal goal of wanting to passing 13 more people, but instead had exceeded his expectation passing 22 more people. On Saturday the team had their final race for the weekend in Palmer. All three runners had an acceptional race with each of them finishing around the 20 minute mark. Colapietro had a finishing time of 23 minutes flat. Merioles with a time of 24:23, and Cody Greene had the fastest time of the 3 finishing just under 20 minutes. The team now looks to prepare for a 5K race in Seward.

VALDEZ HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

VHS VOLLEYBALL TAKES 1st and 2nd IN THE CORDOVA TOURNAMENT
On the weekend of August 29th and 30th the high school volleyball traveled to Cordova to participate in their annual tournament.

Varsity – The varsity team had another dominant run in the Fast Ferry Tournament, taking first place at the tournament for the third year in a row. In addition to placing first, the Lady Bucs also kept their streak alive of never losing a match to either 3A or 4A competition at the tourney. At the tournaments conclusion, juniors Mesa Rohrer and Maddy Fleming were selected to the All-Tournament Team. In addition, Maddy Fleming received the most coach votes at the tournament which awarded her to be the Top All Tournament Player.

Junior Varsity – The team showed excellent skill against the 4A competition beating North Pole and splitting against Houston, which turned out to be thrilling games. For the tournament, junior varsity took second place just narrowly losing to Houston 1 – 15 in a tie break during the championship game. After receiving second place, sophomore Jane Sharrai was selected to the All – Tournament Team for Junior Varsity.

VHS Swimmers recently traveled to partcipate in the Homer Invite from Sept. 4th - 6th. Overall the swim team did exceptionally well with a high enough combined score to place Valdez 5th overall at the meet. Top performances for Valdez included, Riley McNelly who took 1st place in the Girls 100 Butterfly with a time of 1:05.74. Also placing 5th in the same event was junior Emily Doyel. The Girls relay team consisting of Emily Doyel, Tess Turnbull, with Josie and Riley McNelly received a 3rd place finish in the Girls 200 Medley Relay. For the boys, Senior Sergei Wegner placed 6th in Boys 200 Freestyle and the Boys 500 Freestyle. The relay team of Christopher Cummins, Sergei Wegner, Jacob Balowski, and Stuart Relay took 7th in the Boys 200 Medley Relay with a time of 2:00.70.

VALDEZ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL ENDS GAME ON A GOOD NOTE
The VHS football team had their second home game on the newly constructed Astroturf field. They played the Seward Seahawks on the afternoon of Saturday, September 20th. The teams quarterback, Preston Fifarek who missed the previous game against Nikiski due to injury made a partial return during the game on Saturday. Only being allowed to play the offense, Fifarek got some game time to get back into the game flow before their upcoming game against Eielson. Unfortunately the Buccaneers still weren’t able to pull out a victory losing their game 46 – 6. The Bucs however did show some glimmer of hope. In the final seconds of the game, Junior Mickey Radotich had an epic catch just before time expired on the clock. The Bucs now have their biggest competition coming up against the Eielson Ravens. Eielson is currently undefeated and ranked #1 in the states small school rankings. In addition to that, according to Maxpreps rankings, Eielson is ranked 12th in the overall state rankings.

VALDEZ HAS FIRST GAME ON THE NEW FOOTBALL FIELD
On the afternoon of September 6th Valdez residents came out to support the VHS football team, on their very first game on the new astro - turf field. The Buccaneers were set to face against the Homer Mariners at 1pm Saturday. The Bucs fought hard all afternoon long, but were unable to pull out a victory losing the game 56-0. In the early minutes the Bucs looked promising, completing two consecutives passes getting them just out striking distance to attempt for a touchdown. The Mariners overall better play just became too much for the Valdez to overcome in the end. Overall the Buccaneers showed a lot of potential for future games. Quarterback Preston Fifarek (Junior.) showed impressive skill setting up the offense being a leader for the team. Sophomore Zach Howard had a good game consistently running the ball and breaking tackles.

VALDEZ FOOTBALL TEAM VISITS BARROW

Photo Courtesy of Valdez Bucs Facebook Page

2014-2015 High School Sports Schedules
Click on the links below to view each individual sport's schedule.Basketball Schedule

VALDEZ XC SKI TEAM

Skiers Compete at State
Stephanie Allen earns 3A Skimeister award Coach Pete Toye - Seven Buc skiers competed at the state championships at Kincaid Park. Minimal snow pack, rapidly fluctuating temperatures, rain, sun, snow, wind, and ice made for complicated but very interesting race conditions each day. As has been the case all season, all seven Buc skiers responded with outstanding efforts and did the best they could in this `David v. Goliath’ environment. Over the course of the three day tournament, the girls raced a total of 10.75 miles and 11.5 miles for the boys. At state, there is no JV classification so results need to be considered in proper perspective relative to the outstanding levels of competitiveness that this event always entails.
Thursday’s classic race started off the tournament action with a course that ended up the source of some controversy. Senior Stephanie Allen had a sensational 5K race that earned her 1st place medal in the 3A division and 41st overall in the field of 89. Sophomore Rylee Norris fell victim to the poorly marked course when she missed a turn and was disqualified after sharing the lead with Allen for the first 3K. Eventually, 8 skiers were DQ’d for similar reasons and a few others were forced to retrace their steps after missing a turn. Senior Kathryn Keeney gave a great effort in her last state tournament as did first year skiers Junior Josie McNelly and Sophomore Taylor Huston. Senior Sergei Wegner also had a strong performance in his 7.5K event earning him 4th place 3A finish and 52nd overall in the field of 103. Freshman Ben Swanson had s strong race going for a rookie until his too soft skis lost their wax on the very abrasive snow but he persisted strongly to the end.
The skate race on Friday was held on a much better understood course. Stephanie again led the way for the Bucs with another excellent performance that earned her a hard fought 2nd place 3A finish and 41st overall in field of 96 in the 7.5K event. Rylee bounced back strongly from the previous day’s frustrations finishing in 4th place for 3A (.8 second out of 3rd) and 44th overall. Kathryn, Taylor, and Josie, also again gave their best on the demanding course. Sergei finished a respectable 7th in 3A and 59th overall on the boys 10K course that was highlighted by three trips through a high speed hair pin turn that went from ice to powder at all the wrong places. Ben had another strong ski for a first year freshman skier.
Stephanie Allen’s terrific two day performance earned her 3A Skimeister honors for the fastest two day combined times for 3A girls and a very competitive 37th overall out of 88. Sergei Wegner’s efforts earned him 6th in 3A boys and a respectable 57th overall in the field of 100. The Bucs bid a sad farewell to this year’s three great senior leaders: Stephanie Allen, Kathryn Keeney, and Sergei Wegner. The fortitude, work ethic, persistence and positive attitude that the three have demonstrated throughout the season will serve them very well on their future life journeys!

Bucs Battle at Region III Ski Championships (02-16-15) A small, but determined, “Band of Bucs” took to the Government Peaks trails last weekend for the Region III Championships hosted by Colony High School. A very strong Kenai team dominated the weekend in both boys and girls but the Valdez team represented us very well and gave valiant efforts across the board.
Senior Sergei Wegner was the lone Buc entry in the boys’ varsity division. On Friday, Wegner had a strong classic performance finishing 15th in the field of 37 in the 5K event. Saturday’s 7.5 skate race saw him drop a bit to 23rd after experiencing a pile up at the mass start and some difficulty with the fast icy turns several places along the course but he was going for it! Wegner ended up a respectable 19th place overall in this very competitive group. Senior Stephanie Allen saved her best performance of the year for Regions. Allen had a strong classic ski netting her 13th in the varsity event in the field of 41. Saturday’s skate race saw her jump 4 spots to 9th place with a powerful and determined performance in the 5K event. Allen ended up a very competitive 12th place overall for the weekend. Sophomore Rylee Norris had some issues with both the wax and the course but still managed a respectable 19th place finish in the classic event (for perspective, her time would have won the JV event where most Sophs raced). Norris came roaring back on Saturday with a great skate that ended in an 11th place finish---1.5 seconds out of 10th. Norris wound up an admirable 15th overall.
The JV teams got off to a slow start on Day #1 but really turned it up on day #2. Freshman Ben Swanson had a very impressive weekend finishing 19th in the classic then jumping 13 spots to 6th in a tremendous skate race the following day. Swanson ended up a very impressive 12th overall in the field of 46. Junior Stuart Relay finished a respectable 23rd in the classic despite dealing with a nagging rib muscle injury. This injury prevented him from competing on Saturday. Sophomore Colton Prevost continues to improve and impress finishing 40th in the classic event and 37th in the skate. His progress has been a joy to watch. Sophomore Taylor Huston had a great first year regions finishing 27th in the classic then screaming back 12 spots with a super 15th place finish in the skate. Junior Josie McNelly also had a great first tournament finishing 30th on the first day then also jumping a most impressive 12 spots to 18th in the skate.
The team did a super job of competing at their highest levels last weekend. Their efforts were especially impressive on the second day, when they had their road legs fully back under them. The team next travels to Anchorage this weekend for the state skiing (or swimming…) championships at Kincaid.

Bucs Compete at Matsu Borough Championships 2-9-15Coach Pete Toye - The Matsu Borough Championships took place last Friday at salubrious (compared to Hurricane Valdez) Su Valley High School outside Talkeetna. Teams from, Valdez, Colony, Wasilla, Palmer, and Su Valley competed in this annual event.
The girl’s team had two top 10 finishers in the field of 27. Sophomore Rylee Norris continued her impressive growth as a very competitive skier with an outstanding 3rd place finish. Senior Stephanie Allen also had a very strong race which netted her a very competitive 5th place finish. Following Allen, fellow senior Kathryn Keeney had the best race of her season thus far finishing a very respectable 13th. Sophomore Taylor Huston continued her steady competitive development finishing 18th and junior Josie McNelly , also in her first year, had her best performance to date at 23rd.
The Buc boys were again led by strong senior Sergei Wegner whose consistent effort earned him a competitive 5th place finish in the field of 18. Freshman Ben Swanson continues his impressive first year development with a strong 11th place finish. Junior Stuart Relay followed right behind Swanson with a respectable 12th place effort. Sophomore rookie skier Colton Prevost rounded out the Buc efforts by passing a Wasilla skier in the last 200 meters finishing 17th in an exciting finish.
The Buc team travels back to Government Peak this weekend for the Region III Championships hosted by Colony High School.

Buc Skiers Compete at the Colony Invite (1-26-15)Coach Pete Toye - The Valdez skiers made the trip over to Hatcher’s Pass last weekend for a two day event at Government Peak featuring all Region III teams. Fresh snow and more seasonal temps made for a great course, and a very productive race for all involved, as we continue to mentally and physically progress toward regions and state next month. There simply is no substitute for races to build strength and confidence!
Sophomore Rylee Norris was again the top Buc performer finishing 11th place overall in combined time in the field of 39 varsity skiers. Norris finished 13th in Friday’s classic race and 12th in Saturday’s skate. Senior Stephanie Allen had a solid performance finishing 16th overall. Allen finished 15th in the classic but, as a result of getting caught in a pileup at Saturday’s mass start, she could only recover to a 22nd place finish. Senior Kathryn Keeney continues to get stronger ending the weekend in 31st place overall having finished 36th in classic and 34th in skate. Both JV girls had strong performances as first year skiers. Freshman Taylor Huston had a strong race finishing 22nd overall in the field of 43 with a 24th place finish in classic and a 20th place in skate—her first top 20 performance as a Buc skier! Junior Josie McNelly continues to improve weekly and earned a 28th place overall spot finishing 34th and 27th respectfully.
Boys JV performances were led by Junior Stuart Relay. Relay’s consistent efforts earned him 22nd overall in the field of 43 placing 23rd in classic and 19th in skate. Freshman Colton Prevost finished 39th overall with 39th place finishes in both events and continues to show great persistence and improvement.
The Bucs will next see action this Saturday at our first Town Race of the year. This freestyle race (10 or 7.5K) is open to the public and free of charge. Registration/bibbing will start at 10:00 AM at Cato Bridge with the mass start race beginning at 10:30.

Valdez Invite a Huge Success Despite Very Marginal Conditions (01-12-15) Coach Pete Toye - Thanks to the great efforts of the City of Valdez, the Department of Recreation, and, most importantly, Groomer Extraordinaire Marcie Robertson, the annual Valdez Invite Nordic Ski Races came off as a great success last weekend. Teams from West Valley, Lathrup, Wasilla, Colony, Palmer, and SuValley made the icy trek to Valdez and found much better skiing conditions than projected earlier in the week. The schools from Kenai Peninsula cancelled due to the ice. The weird and warm mid-30’s temperatures, rain, and icy snow pack, made for great challenges in the waxing venues. The weekend races started out with the mixed relays consisting of two boys and two girls. Valdez only could muster one such team consisting of senior Stephanie Allen, senior Sergei Wegner, sophomore Rylee Norris , and freshman Ben Swanson. The team had a very competitive showing finishing 9th in the field of 37. The top 3 spots were awarded to West Valley.
Saturday’s individual classic races started with the girls varsity 5.4K competition. Senior Stephanie Allen led the Buc efforts with a very solid 13th (7 seconds out of 10th)place finish in the extremely athletic field of 27. Sophomore Rylee Norris followed 10 seconds behind at 14th with a strong underclassman ski. Senior Kathryn Keeney made a strong effort and continues to slowly regain her power from last year’s serious shoulder injury. The boys varsity 8.4K race saw Buc senior , and lone entrant, Sergei Wegner see his years of hard work start paying off with a hard earned 10th place finish in a very tough field of 26. Perennial state powerhouse West Valley secured the top 5 spots in the boy’s race.
The girls JV 5.4K race featured two first year Valdez skiers and both were most impressive in their debuts in the field of 36 . Junior Josie McNelly powered her way to an 18th place finish and freshman Taylor Huston pushed her way to a well- earned 22nd place in deteriorating conditions. The boys JV efforts were led by another first year skier, freshman Ben Swanson, who finished an impressive 18th out of 44 racers. Closely following Swanson with a solid ski was junior Stuart Relay at 20th. Freshman, and first year skier, Colton Prevost demonstrated outstanding effort in finishing his first 5.4K as a Buc. The team was ably assisted all weekend by manager Emily Chase and assistant coach Nathan Albright.
Both team titles were earned by West Valley who really owned the show. It was very apparent that they have been skiing regularly since October in Fairbanks and definitely have the edge statewide in that regard! The Buc team performed extremely well given our practice limitations thus far this very non-winter winter. We will only get faster with every minute we can spend on snow---there simply is no substitute!

Massive Valdez XC ski Invite comes to town this week (1-05-14)
The Valdez High School Cross Country Ski Team will be hosting the annual Valdez Invite on January 9 & 10. Approximately, 250 student-athletes from the following schools will be joining VHS in this great event: West Valley, Lathrop, North Pole, Colony, Palmer, Wasilla, SuValley, Seward, Soldotna, and Kenai. The races will be staged from the USCG Housing Facility off Hanagita. The freestyle relay race will begin Friday at 3:00 PM, and the individual classic technique races will begin Saturday at 11:00 AM with the Varsity Girls Classic, followed by the Varsity Boys Classic at 11:45. The JV Girls will begin at 12:30, and JV Boys at 1:15. The 5.4 freestyle open/town race will begin at 2:00 PM on Saturday; this race is free for all participants. Consequently, both the Mineral Creek Road and the entire upper canyon area will be closed to motorized traffic, hiking, and sledding all day Friday the 9th thru Saturday the 10th until 5:00 PM. This closure is absolutely necessary for the preparation of the course and for the safety of the skiers.

LYNX LOPPET TOURNAMENT
The Cross Country ski team traveled to Anchorage this weekend for the annual Lynx Loppet tournament. The challenges for cross country ski teams across the state continued, as the first day of competition had to be cancelled, and the event moved from Kincaid Park to Service High School for the second day of competition on Saturday. Luckily the Bucs did get the chance to compete on Saturday, and assuredly appreciated getting the chance to finally get out on the snow and race. The team posted solid times in the largest race the state will see this year. The team will be hosting a town race on Friday and Saturday of this week.

BUCS OPEN SKI SEASON IN FAIRBANKSValdez High School Ski Coach Pete Toye - For the first time in recent memory, the Buc ski team entered its first race without ever having practiced on snow, so all results are to be taken with a grain of salt! The annual Fort Knox Town Series featured the teams from the Fairbanks area, UAA, UAF, and Colony HS. Birch Hill is the only course in the state with skiable snow at this time, and it has been so for them since October 6. Despite our snowless training season thus far, the four skiers who raced showed a fairly competitive level of aerobic fitness and a significant level of mental toughness as they worked the hilly and challenging course. There is simply no substitute for training on the snow—especially on the hills--- and our performances reflected that reality. Hopefully, this is the slowest we will ski this season, so we got that out of the way early!
The best performance of the day was clocked by sophomore Rylee Norris with a gutsy 9th place finish in the field of 28 high school girls in the 5K event. This was a very strong performance by Norris given our current training challenges. Senior Stephanie Allen toughed out a 20th place, and will only get faster as the season progresses. Senior Sergei Wegner was the top Buc finisher in the boys 7.5K race demonstrating great effort , and finishing 20th out of 41 high school boys. Junior Stuart Relay persevered, and persisted, to a 36th place finish.
Three rookies made the trip north as well and benefited from two days of actually practicing skiing! The newest members of our team are sophomore Taylor Huston, sophomore Colton Prevost, and freshman Ben Swanson. The team will continue to train hard, by whatever means necessary, and only worry about what is in our control. Skiing at Blueberry Lake, over Thanksgiving weekend, is an option if conditions allow. Our first Valdez Town Series race is scheduled for December 6 and our next high school race is the Lynx Loppet on December 12 & 13 at Kincaid Park.